


The World's Treasure Part 1: The Rainbow

by Catflower_Queen



Series: The World's Treasure [3]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-15
Updated: 2017-03-23
Packaged: 2018-05-14 01:59:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 12,582
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5725510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Catflower_Queen/pseuds/Catflower_Queen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>We know that the Time Gears control the flow of time... but... where did they come from? What was a human doing in the Pokémon World? How does Laura fit in? But most importantly... what exactly is the World's Treasure? A "Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Exploreres of the Sky" Fanfiction. Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Prologue**

There's a part of the Pokémon World that few have visited. It isn't because it's hard to get to. On the contrary, unless its barriers were to be put up, _anyone_ could reach there if they were in the right state of mind. No, the problem is that very few know of its existence outside of the realm of lore and legend… and those that _do_ know often stay away out of respect.

If anyone _did_ manage to enter, however, they'd find themself on the beach of an island, surrounded by miles of ocean. If they looked down the shoreline, they'd see a small, well-furnished house. That's the guest house. If they wandered inland, they'd find themself in a jungle full of trees laden with every type of fruit imaginable. More houses would be scattered here and there amidst the trees, and each would be full of different necessities and pleasures. Some would have kitchens and dining areas stocked with delicious meals. Some would be state-of-the-art medical wards. Some would be full of toys. Some would be stocked with art supplies and function like studios.

None would be inhabited.

Continuing through the jungle, one would find themself staring at a cliff wall. It's too sheer to climb and seems impassable, but if one looked hard enough they'd find a small knob. Releasing one's aura into it would open a door that led into a rocky tunnel. Eventually it would lead to a dead-end. A door on the right would lead into the living quarters of the sole inhabitant of the lonesome place, but if aura was released into the dead-end wall in front, the stone would melt away to reveal something beautiful.

Encircled by rocky walls would be a field of wildflowers. At the far end, a waterfall would feed into a small pool encircled by a grove of trees always in bloom and constantly dropping white petals onto the surface of the water. A path of stepping stones would lead up to a pedestal in the center of the pool.

On top of the pedestal and nestled in a basket woven of fragrant white flowers would be an orb. The orb would be more breathtaking than anything you could imagine; full of the swirling colors of a rainbow. It would glow with an ethereal light that constantly dims and brightens in response to some unknown force. Anyone who looked at it would immediately believe it to be the World's Treasure.

However, they'd be wrong.

The orb is important, yes… but it's nothing compared to the _real_ Treasure… and the truth about the _real_ Treasure is an even greater kept secret than the island itself…


	2. Disappear...

The wind raged. Thunder clashed and lightning tore across the blood-red clouds. Team Rainbow had beaten the misunderstanding Dialga, but the ever-present tremors made it clear that Temporal Tower was mere seconds from collapsing. Paula was shaking as she set the last Time Gear in place. For a moment the team feared that it hadn't had any effect, but then the gears sent out a pulse of energy in a white flash of light. The duo was momentarily blinded, but once they blinked the spots from their vision they saw that though the tower had sustained damaged, it _was_ , in fact, still standing.

"Yes! It worked!" Paula shouted with glee, dancing in circles around her treecko partner, who was kneeling on the ground. She was still a bit dazed, but she smiled nonetheless.

Dialga chuckled at the pikachu's antics, which caused her to stop and blush. She looked down at the ground in embarrassment before whipping her head back up to stare at Dialga, a hint of fear on her face.

"So… you're okay now, right? You're not going to try to attack us anymore… are you?

Dialga gave a hearty laugh before replying, "NO. NOW THAT TIME IS FLOWING PROPERLY AGAIN, I HAVE CALMED DOWN."

"Time is flowing properly again… does that mean that places like Treeshroud Forest are back to normal too?" Paula asked.

"SEE FOR YOURSELF," Dialga invited before using his powers to show them the beautiful Pokémon World.

"Yes! We did it, Laura!" Paula exclaimed, grabbing the treecko's hands. Laura smiled back before the two were startled by a gasp from Dialga's direction. They looked over and were surprised to see Dialga's mouth gaping open.

"L-LAURA? DID… DID YOU JUST SAY _LAURA_?" he stuttered in shock.

"Uh, yeah. That's, um… that's her name. Is there a problem?" Paula asked in confusion.

"…NO… IT'S JUST…" Dialga glanced over at Laura before glancing over at the Time Gears, sighing, and glancing back. "IT'S NOTHING… I MUST THANK YOU ONCE MORE FOR SAVING MY TOWER. THE RAINBOW STONESHIP SHOULD STILL BE OPERABLE. HAVE A SAFE JOURNEY HOME…"

"Thanks! We will! Come on Laura!" Paula said cheerfully before bounding off. Laura took one last confused glance back at Dialga before following her friend, showing off her human heritage by walking upright, and not on all fours like a normal treecko.

Dialga watched Team Rainbow leave, and once they were out of sight he sighed and, almost wistfully, murmured, "I THOUGHT SHE SEEMED FAMILIAR… BUT WHAT WAS SHE DOING _HERE…_?"

* * *

As Team Rainbow made their way back to the Rainbow Stoneship, Laura began to fade away. Since she was from a future that no longer existed, she had to disappear… Paula was distraught, but she promised to grant Laura's last wish and return to Treasure Town to let everyone know what had happened. Eventually Paula made it to Lapras, who was waiting to take her home.

"Paula! You all did it!" Lapras exclaimed with joy before noticing that the pikachu had returned alone. "Where… where are Grovyle and Laura?" he continued uneasily. Paula's tears and heartbroken expression were answer enough.

The journey home was not a pleasant one. It was as though a cloud of gloom had settled over the two, and it only seemed to get thicker and more oppressive as Paula began to fulfill her friend's wish and explain what had happened.

The silence that followed at the tale's conclusion was oppressive, and it took a few false starts before Lapras was finally able to comment, "I was afraid that something like that would happen."

Paula's head, which had been bowed in sorrow, snapped up as she shot a fierce glare at Lapras. "What did you say?" she hissed. "You knew that this would happen? Why didn't you tell me?"

Lapras bowed his head in shame and closed his eyes. "I had hoped that I would be mistaken," he whispered.

* * *

It was sunset when the two finally made it back to the beach near Treasure Town. As Paula slid off Lapras' back, she glanced over to the spot where she had met Laura. Suddenly, a flash of light tore across the sky, and in its wake the heavens became illuminated with the colors of the rainbow. The colors didn't settle there, however, but spread to the earth. The world seemed to be blanketed with fresh waves of energy, and, for a split second, Paula could swear that it seemed to concentrate on her and Lapras, surrounding them each with a different color. It was almost like an aura… But as soon as she glimpsed it, the auras seemed to vanish. Another flash of light illuminated the world and took the rainbow tint with it. The sky was left with only the normal colors of a vanishing sunset.

Paula was stunned, and glanced over at the equally stunned Lapras. She managed a faint "Thanks" for the ride before she headed back to the guild.

* * *

Even though she was still upset, Paula couldn't help but smile when she stepped on the grate in front of the Guild and heard Diglett and Loudred's usual routine.

"Pokémon detected! Pokémon detected!"

"Whose footprint? Whose footprint?"

"The footprint belongs to… Paula! Everyone! They're back!"

The cheers of joy were loud enough, but when the sound of stampeding feet joined in it was almost deafening. As the apprentices made their way above ground and swarmed Paula with congratulations, the most the pikachu could manage was a weak smile.

It didn't take long for Chatot to part the crowd so that Wigglytuff could make his way over to Paula. He gathered her into a fierce hug before exclaiming, "I'm glad you're back safely! We missed you!" He released Paula and began to look around. But then, upon noticing that she had returned alone, he frowned and added, "But where are Laura and Grovyle?"

Paula's smile vanished. "Laura… Laura is…" It became too much and she fell to her knees, wailing in sadness. Everyone was dumbstruck and began to get a sinking feeling in the pits of their stomachs…

* * *

Once Paula had been ushered inside the guild and had calmed down enough to talk, she told the tale of the journey and explained her partners' fate. When she was through, the guild was in an uproar.

"What do you MEAN they're _GONE_?!" Loudred shrieked, causing Paula to flinch.

"Oh my gosh, Loudred! You don't have to yell at Paula!" Sunflora came to her defense. "It's not _her_ fault that they… sniffle…!"

"But, hey, hey! How is _that_ fair? Laura and Grovyle had to live in that world of darkness, but they don't even get to enjoy the new world that they created?" Corphish spluttered with indignity.

"And why didn't they tell us that this would happen?" Diglett quietly asked. "I mean… I understand that Laura probably didn't know because of her amnesia, but why wouldn't Grovyle…?"

"Oof… I reckon he must've thought it would've upset us…" Bidoof said.

"Well of course it would have upset us! Dugtrio agreed. "But, regardless..."

"Meh heh heh… some warning would have been nice," Croagunk cut him off. Dugtrio glared at him when Croagunk continued, "We didn't even get to say 'Goodbye.'"

Chatot decided to add in his two bits with, "Squawk! Indeed! Had we been informed, we could have tried to figure out a way to prevent it!"

"That's… that's probably _why_ they didn't tell us," Paula, who had been quiet since finishing her story, said. Everyone stared at her incredulously, so she elaborated, "They knew that there _wasn't_ a way to prevent it… hic! ... other than to let the tower fall. They p-probably thought that if we knew, we would t-try to stop them…"

"Paula…" Chimecho sighed, floating over to console Paula.

Paula, who was on the verge of another breakdown, wasn't swayed by Chimecho's attempts. She merely began to shake as she continued, "But they were wrong! Sure, I would've been upset… but I still would've helped them! How could they not know that? And how could they think that short amount of time would be enough to tell them how much they meant to me?! Laura was my best friend! Why would she think that I'd be okay with a goodbye like that?! Hic… sob… uh… uh… uhWAAAAH!"

With that, Paula once more broke down into a violent fit of sobbing hysterics. No one knew what to do to calm her down until Wigglytuff, who had maintained an uncharacteristically grim silence throughout the entire story and discussion, stepped forward.

"Paula," he began, forcing the pikachu to listen to him. "You need to rest." Wigglytuff used Sing and caught Paula as she limped and fell unconscious into his arms. "Chatot!" He called out.

"Y-yes Guildmaster?" Chatot asked, startled by Wigglytuff's actions.

Wigglytuff sighed before saying, "Paula's been through a lot today. She's hurt and tired and sad. Don't give her any jobs tomorrow; just let her sleep as much as she needs. And everyone… be careful with her for the next few days. Don't force her to talk if she doesn't want to." With that he carried the slumbering pokémon off to her room.

The apprentices and Chatot were left with a gloomy silence that was finally broken by Corphish saying, "Hey, hey… it's just… it's so hard to believe that Laura is… _gone._ And that… that we'll never see her smile, or hear her voice again…"

"Not that she talked much in the FIRST place…" Loudred added.

"She sure was a strange little thing, meh heh heh…" Croagunk chuckled bitterly. "Who _else_ has Plain Seeds as a favorite food? And how many other treecko are there that walk on two legs?"

Bidoof nodded and shed a tear as he added, "I remember how she always curled up into a tight ball when she slept. I wonder why she did that…?"

"There's so much we didn't know about her," Chimecho sniffled. "And she never even got over her amnesia…"

Everyone let out a sigh.

"…Come now. We have a big day tomorrow," Chatot said, trying to get everyone's mind off of mourning. "We all need to get to sleep. And mind what the Guildmaster said about Paula!"

No one could muster up the strength or enthusiasm for a verbal response, but they all nodded as they trooped off to their respective rooms.


	3. The Diaries: One

Sunflora's "Oh My Gosh" Diary: Poor Paula…

… I just don't know what to say. Team Rainbow managed to stop the collapse of Temporal Tower… but it's a hollow victory. You see, Laura and Grovyle… they're gone! The future they came from no longer exists, so they can't exist either… Poor Paula… she was hysterical with grief when she explained what had happened… the Guildmaster had to use Sing on her so that she would get some rest. She's asleep now, but I can only imagine how she'll feel when she wakes up… I know I should try to be cheerful around her tomorrow, but I don't know if I'll be able to. Paula and Laura did everything together. Seeing her alone will just make me miss Laura even more… oh, Laura… sniffle…!

* * *

Bidoof's "Yup, Yup" Diary: Poor Paula…

Oof… I know I should be happy that Team Rainbow saved the world… but I can't be. You see, Diary, all I can think about is how unfair it is. Laura and Grovyle… by saving our world they sacrificed their lives and can no longer exist. They're gone forever… Paula took it real hard, and you can't rightly blame her. Laura was her best friend. I should try and be upbeat for Paula's sake, but all I can think about is her having to sleep in that room all alone, without Laura… sob… Laura…


	4. ...And Reappear

Months passed, but Paula never really recovered from her sadness. One night she went for a walk on the beach where she and Laura had met, and she became overcome with grief. When Bidoof came to check on her, he was clueless about what to do to calm her down. He frantically looked for something to distract her, and something behind her caught his eyes.

It was a bright light. It started out as a small pinprick, but it gradually grew into a large orb. As Bidoof watched it expand he thought he saw something green in the middle. Something green that was alive! He quickly pointed it out to Paula, and they both watched as a miracle occurred. The green thing… it was Laura! She was back!

The light vanished and Laura fell to the sand, moaning. Bidoof and Paula rushed over, and Paula scooped her up into a hug and buried her face into Laura's chest.

"Laura!" Paula cried out with joy. "I missed you so much!"

"…I missed you… too…" Laura said with a far-off voice. "I'm so… so sorry that I had…to leave…"

"That's f-fine!" Paula sobbed. "You're back now!"

Laura's voice was faint as she replied, "Yes… but I'm still… drained…"

"Huh? What do you mean?" Paula asked as she looked up, startled by the tone of her friend's voice. Her shock increased when she noticed Laura's eyes.

"Laura! Your eyes! They're… they're like rainbows!" Paula exclaimed.

It was true. Laura's eyes reflected the brilliance of a rainbow. The colors were more pure than anything Paula had ever seen before. Well, anything except for the phenomenon that had occurred that fateful day many months ago… With a sharp gasp Paula realized that Laura's eyes looked _exactly_ like the sky had on the day she returned from Temporal Tower!

Laura's weak chuckles broke Paula out of her thoughts. "Yes… but they won't remain… like this… for long… and… I'm sorry… but I'm not sure… that my memory will… either…"

Her friend's cryptic words left Paula confused and worried, but her emotions turned to shock when Laura's body suddenly became racked with tremors and rainbow-colored sparks. Paula and Bidoof were terrified and frantically called out to her.

Laura groaned as the sparks continued to fly and rack her body. "Sorry… but I probably won't r-remember this… when I wake up… ugh…"

With that, Laura collapsed. She continued to spark and tremble for a few moments, but quickly ceased and became motionless.

"Laura? _Laura?!_ " Paula cried out in fear.

Bidoof rushed over and exclaimed, "Gosh! Is she okay? What was with that sparking?"

"She's cold… Bidoof, she's really, _really_ cold…" Paula said with worry as she felt her partner's forehead. Bidoof noticed the lost expression on Paula's face and decided to take charge.

"We need to get her home," he stated with authority. Then he grinned as he realized something. "Golly! I reckon everyone's going to be real happy to see her!"

Paula broke into a wide smile and shed tears of happiness as she realized the same thing. "Yeah! I can't believe she's really home!"

* * *

Bidoof and Paula carried the unconscious Laura back to Wigglytuff's Guild and Bidoof stood above the sentry post. As usual, Diglett and Loudred gave their little spiel.

"Pokémon detected! Pokémon detected!"

"Are you SERIOUS? At THIS time of night? Grr… Whose footprint? Whose footprint?"

"It's… Bidoof's! It's Bidoof's!"

"What? BIDOOF! You're LATE! We can't start eating until EVERYONE'S here! Paula had BETTER be with you!"

"Oof…" Bidoof cringed at the scolding. "Yup, yup. Paula's here. Sorry for being so late, but we ran into a… a _problem_ on the beach…"

Loudred opened the gates and stomped out to give Bidoof a piece of his mind. "WHAT problem could POSSIBLY be more important than DINNER?" he demanded.

Bidoof turned towards something behind him and tried to find the words to explain, "Well…"

Loudred looked as well and was shocked. "NO WAY! Is that… LAURA?!" he shouted in surprise. His voice echoed into the guild, causing the other apprentices to scream out in shock.

"WHAT?! _LAURA_?!"

* * *

They brought Laura inside and set down on her bed in the room Team Rainbow shared. Everyone except Wigglytuff was present and gazing at her in wonder. She was still asleep, but, instead of being curled up as usual, she remained motionless, flat on her back. This made everyone uneasy; if Laura was asleep and _not_ curled up, you knew it was a bad sign.

"Hey, hey!" Corphish exclaimed softly, being careful not to wake her. "Is it really Laura?"

Diglett glanced at her feet once more before responding with confidence, "Yes! That's definitely her footprint!"

"Oh my gosh!" Sunflora squealed. "Where do you think she's been all this time?"

Dugtrio frowned, "I am not sure… but she does not seem to be hurt. Just tired… and cold…"

"Oh! Guildmaster!" Chatot suddenly exclaimed, drawing everyone's attention to the door where Wigglytuff was entering the room carrying a thick blanket.

"Welcome home, Laura!" he crooned as he arranged the blanket over her body.

"Guildmaster," Chatot sighed in exasperation. "She's deeply asleep. I doubt she can hear you. She hasn't even moved once since she was brought in…"

Wigglytuff just got a silly grin on his face as he replied, "That's all right! I know she'll be fine! She just needs a good, long rest! Let's just let her sleep tomorrow."

"Meh heh heh… Doesn't the fact that she suddenly showed up and started sparking with energy concern you?" Croagunk asked, cynical as ever.

Wigglytuff shook his head. "Nope! I'm sure it's fine!"

Everyone else merely cast a concerned look in Laura's direction.

"Chatot!" Wigglytuff suddenly exclaimed, bringing the focus towards the guild's head of intelligence.

"Y-yes, Guildmaster?" Chatot questioned.

"We should have something to eat! It's _way_ past dinner time!" he said, giving Chatot a meaningful look.

"… Of course! Yes, Guildmaster!" Chatot responded, catching the look. "Squawk! Okay everyone! Time to eat!"

Every apprentice but Paula suddenly remembered their hunger and exclaimed "Hooray!" before dashing off to the dining room. Paula merely sighed and looked back at Laura.

"Paula? Aren't you hungry?" Wigglytuff asked.

"…No… not really," Paula lied before her gurgling stomach gave her away.

"Paula. You should eat something. You have a full day of exploring tomorrow," Wigglytuff said gently.

"I know… but…" Paula sighed and glanced at Laura.

"Don't worry. Laura is strong! She'll be all right! What she needs most now is peace and quiet so that she can get plenty of rest," Wigglytuff assured as he guided Paula out of the room.

"Yeah… you're right…" Paula agreed. But it didn't stop her from casting Laura a final worried glance before she left.

* * *

That night, around midnight, Laura began to glow with rainbow-colored energy. It wasn't sparking, though. It was softer, like an aura, and rather than coming from _within_ her body, it seemed to be coming from the world around her. Even though she was asleep, Laura still moaned and scrunched her eyes tighter together. Her body seemed to absorb the energy, and the aura soon faded away. Laura sighed and curled into a ball as she slept on…

* * *

The next morning Laura was still sleeping soundly in her little ball while the other apprentices gathered for the morning meeting.

"All right, everyone," Chatot began in a low tone, "let's stay quiet today so that Laura can rest."

"YEAH! Everyone needs to KEEP IT DOWN so we don't WAKE her!" Loudred added authoritatively.

"Oh my gosh, Loudred! _You're_ the one whose ridiculously loud voice is going to wake her up!" Sunflora chided.

Dugtrio growled in exasperation, "Sunflora! You are not helping!"

The apprentices continued to squabble and ignore Chatot's demands to quiet down. The sound carried all the way to the sleeping quarters and into Team Rainbow's room. Laura stirred at the noise and groggily blinked her eyes open. She glanced around and her eyes widened before she bolted up. She used the wall to stand on two legs and dizzily staggered towards the meeting area. When she was met with the sight of an argument, she was, understandably, confused. She spotted Paula on the fringe and staggered over.

"P-Paula… what's going on?" she asked in her usual, quiet voice.

"They're trying to keep everyone quiet so that we don't wake—" Paula began before realizing who it was that spoke. Her eyes widened and she whipped around in surprise. "LAURA! You're awake!"

Everyone froze and turned towards the young treecko. "Laura? _Gasp_! Laura!" they all cheered as they converged upon her.

"Oh my gosh! I'm so glad you're okay!" Sunflora squealed.

"We're so relieved that you're alright!" Chimecho added.

"Oof! I'm mighty glad you're back!" Bidoof cheered.

"I missed you so much!" Paula exclaimed, practically sobbing.

Laura, who had been backed up against the wall, was confused and, honestly, a little frightened as she asked, "Wh-what are you talking about? I just saw you yesterday! And why didn't you want to wake me? Aren't we supposed to be going to Brine Cave today?"

"HUH?" Everyone asked in shock.

"Laura… what are you talking about?" Dugtrio asked with concern.

Laura was frowning as she shuffled her feet. "Y-you know… to find out the secrets of Paula's Relic Fragment…" she trailed off as she took in the mounting expressions of fear and worry on the Guild members' faces. Her frown turned deeper as she uncertainly continued, "S-so we can find the Hidden Land…?"

"Squawk! Laura! Please tell me you're joking! You can't seriously have forgotten _everything_!" Chatot exclaimed, frantically flapping his wings.

Laura was clueless. "F-forgotten what?"

"NO WAY! Are you SERIOUS?!" Loudred yelled, causing Laura to flinch and press herself further into the wall.

"Oh my gosh! Laura, we went to Brine Cave _months_ ago!" Sunflora explained. "That was the last time we saw you and Grovyle before you both-" She froze up, uncertain of whether or not to continue.

Laura was trembling as she whispered with fear, "That was the last time you saw us before we both… what?"

Paula, finally noticing that the others had practically caged Laura against the wall and knowing that it wasn't doing anything to help her friends distress, shoved the others away, saying, "Come on, give her some space!" Once the others had complied, she sighed and explained, "Laura… we stopped the collapse of Temporal Tower months ago. After that, you… you vanished. You just reappeared last night!"

Laura blanched. "What?" She whispered, sinking to her knees. "But, I… where was I? Where did I go? I can't… I can't remember any of that…"

"By gosh! Is it amnesia?" Bidoof wondered aloud.

"But… Laura already _has_ amnesia," Diglett spluttered before turning to his father and asking, "Dad? Is it possible to have amnesia on _top_ of amnesia?"

"Well _obviously_ , since that's what _just_ happened," Croagunk took the liberty of answering. "Meh heh heh… hey, Laura, you must be the amnesia queen!"

Everyone shot him a dirty look before turning their attention back to Laura when she muttered, "But if I… if I vanished… wh-why? Wh-what happened to me?"

Paula sighed before launching into an explanation of all that had occurred during Laura's memory blank, realizing the irony of the fact that she was fulfilling Laura's last wish even though Laura had no memory of issuing said wish in the first place.

Once the story was done Laura took a moment to absorb the information before asking, in a voice that, while quiet, was now much calmer, "So I'll… I'll never get to see Grovyle again…?"

Everyone glanced away.

Laura's eyes filled with tears. "But why… why was _I_ the one to come back? N-not that I'm not _glad_ to be back, but… I can't remember my past. I don't remember what it was like to live on a paralyzed planet. Grovyle… Grovyle could remember _everything_! He deserves to be here so much more!" Laura was struggling to reign in her tears at this point. She buried her face in her hands as she continued, "I can't… I can't even remember his farewell… I must be a truly awful creature…"

"What are you talking about, friendly friend?" Wigglytuff asked in confusion. "You're not awful! You're _wonderful_! We're all so glad you're back!"

He pulled her into a hug, but Laura, who still wasn't convinced, was silent.

"…But, hey, hey! So you _really_ don't know where you went?" Corphish couldn't help but ask.

Laura sighed and shook her head. "No…" she frowned, "But… if I think really hard about it…"

"Yeah…?" Corphish prompted.

Laura got a faraway look on her face and said, "…It was dark… but at the same time… there was color _everywhere_ …! I was connected to everything… but I… I was so… so _lonely_ …"

Laura began to clutch her head, as if she was in pain, and Wigglytuff quickly stepped in. "Don't push yourself, Laura," he ordered. "You're still recovering. You should probably spend the rest of the day sleeping…"

Wigglytuff's voice faded out, and the world started to shimmer before melting into blackness.

"Sleeping… sleeping…" Wigglytuff's voice repeated, slowly changing into the timbre of a young girl's.

"…Sleeping… sleeping…" the voice repeated. Then the world started to shake.

"…Sleeping… Paula, it's time to quit sleeping. Wake up…"

* * *

Paula's eyes blinked open, and the world came back into focus. She looked around to find herself in her home on Sharpedo Bluff.

"Good morning, Paula!" Laura's cheery voice rang out above her. "I'm glad you're finally awake. We have a lot of exploring to do today!"


	5. The Diaries: Two and Three

Sunflora's "Oh My Gosh" Diary: Miracle

Oh my gosh! Miracles… they really do happen! Laura… she's back! Yippee!

So Paula and Bidoof had been late for dinner tonight and we had all been wondering what was keeping them. I figured that they had just lost track of time… but no! It turns out that Paula had gone for a walk on the beach… and then, suddenly, Laura appeared!

Apparently Laura had been sparking with some sort of weird energy… but she seems fine now. She's sleeping in her room, but she isn't curled up like usual. Ooh… I have so much I want to ask her, but right now… I'm just glad she's finally home!

* * *

Bidoof's "Yup Yup" Diary: Laura!

By golly, I don't know if I've ever been happier in my entire life! Laura… she's back home!

I was there when she appeared on the beach… oof, I've gotta admit, she gave me a scare when she started sparking with energy and collapsed… but she's fine now. To tell the truth, I just went and peeked in on her a moment ago. Well, actually I've been doing it all night… but I'm not the only one! All the other apprentices-and even the Guildmaster!-have been doing it too!

Chatot caught us and started scolding us about how we would disturb Laura and Paula, but he can't fool me! No sirree, I know he just wanted an excuse to peek for himself, yup, yup. I don't reckon anyone, and especially not Paula, will be sleeping much tonight. Not until we've assured ourselves that Laura really _is_ back to stay.

Oof… it's just like before, when Team Rainbow came back from the future. Come to think of it… I wonder… is that where Laura was this time, too?

* * *

Sunflora's "Oh My Gosh" Diary: Amnesia?!

Eek! This is unbelievable! Laura… not only does she still have amnesia about her life as a human… but it's gotten worse! When she woke up this morning she told us that the last thing she remembered was preparing for Brine Cave! Oh my gosh! She couldn't remember anything about that exploration, or about Temporal Tower, or even about disappearing! What makes it worse is that she feels _guilty_ about it!

I wanted to tell her how crazy that was, but it probably wouldn't have cheered her up. Guildmaster Wigglytuff sent her back to her room for the day to rest… but I don't think she did much sleeping. She was probably trying to get a handle on her emotions. Sigh… poor Laura. I hope she'll be okay…

* * *

Bidoof's "Yup Yup" Diary: Amnesia?!

Well, Laura woke up… but she's got an even worse case of amnesia now! She can't remember anything that happened to her after Team Rainbow made their preparations for Brine Cave! Oof… she was really beating herself up over it, too.

Guildmaster sent her back to her room for some more rest, and she hasn't left since. Not even for dinner! She said she wasn't hungry… but it took a lot of coaxing to get even _that_ response out of her. After this morning she refused to talk to anyone else all day, which wouldn't have been too surprising except for the fact that she also refused to speak to Paula. I reckon she must be in shock.

Oof… I'll be mighty glad when she returns to being her cheery self again…

 

 


	6. Laura's Birthday Blues

**Laura's Birthday Blues**

Paula blinked her eyes, rubbing the sleep out of them. "Ugh…huh?" she groaned before registering her friend's greeting. "Oh!" she exclaimed. "Good morning, Laura! I had the weirdest dream last night…"

Laura cocked her head as a silent prompt for her friend to continue. "I was having a dream about the past," Paula obliged. "But it was so vivid! It was like I was reliving my memories…" she looked Laura over and smirked, "You know, you hardly ever talked back then."

Laura blushed, "Yeah… But my social skills _have_ improved."

" _Some_ , maybe," Paula agreed before nudging Laura's elbow. "But not by much!" She laughed as Laura blushed even harder and then she wiped a tear of mirth from her eyes and said, "Okay! So what should we do today? Hm… oh! Let's go see what's new in Treasure Town and then get some jobs at the Guild. Or maybe we could do sentry duty. We haven't done that in a while."

Laura nodded, still slightly embarrassed, and the two headed outside.

* * *

Meanwhile, Bidoof paced outside the entrance to their home. "Oof… they told me it was my job to come get them," he muttered to himself, "but it seems rude to wake them up. I mean, I've been out here for a while and they haven't shown any signs of movement…

"They graduated from the guild, so they don't have to get up early like I do. Why, I reckon that they could sleep all day if they wanted to. Yup, yup! That's what _I'd_ do if I graduated. Oof… but… if that _is_ what they're gonna do, then maybe I _should_ wake them up. Either way, I'm already gonna get yelled at for being so late…"

His continued pacing led him back to the entrance just as Team Rainbow emerged. He quickly stopped his pacing and greeted, "Oh! Paula! Laura! Good morning!"

"Good morning, Bidoof!" Paula responded, surprised by the early visit but pleased nonetheless. "What are you doing all the way out here?"

"Chatot sent me to get you," Bidoof explained. "He called a guild meeting in Oran Forest and he wants you two there!"

"H-huh? He wants _us_ there? And in Oran Forest? Why not at the guild?" Paula asked in confusion, glancing back at Laura. Laura just shrugged in response. She had no idea what was happening either.

"I don't really know either," Bidoof sheepishly admitted, "but I do know that we're already late!"

"What? Then we'd better get going!" Paula exclaimed, taking off running with Laura in tow and Bidoof bringing up the rear.

* * *

The trio was panting when they finally made it to the forest clearing where everyone was gathered. Surprisingly, Wigglytuff was nowhere to be seen.

"Pant… pant…Sorry I'm late!" Bidoof said, gasping for breath. "But I brought Team Rainbow!"

"Well it's about TIME! We thought you were NEVER gonna show up!" Loudred complained.

Chatot rolled his eyes before beginning the meeting. "Right then! Now that everyone is here… let's start the meeting for Guildmaster Wigglytuff's surprise party!"

The apprentices cheered, but Team Rainbow just looked confused.

"Surprise party?" Paula asked.

"Oh my gosh! That's right!" Sunflora exclaimed, turning towards Team Rainbow. "You two were in the future when it happened last time, and then you graduated so quickly that you don't know about it! You see, Guildmaster's birthday is in a few days, and every year we throw him a surprise party!"

"Oh! I see! It sounds fun!" Paula said in understanding.

"It is!" Chimecho agreed. "But it takes a lot of planning."

"Yes! So, on that note…" Chatot began to explain everything that was needed to prepare for the party. There were many conversations and arguments over things like who would do cooking, who would work on distracting Wigglytuff while everyone else set up, etc.

Once everything was settled, Chatot brought the meeting to a close by saying, "Now that that's settled, I must remind everyone that they need to bring a present. I cannot stress this enough! Understood? Right, then! Let's get to it! Meeting adjourned!"

"HOORAY!" everyone cheered.

The guild members headed off, but Team Rainbow decided to stay behind and stock up on Oran Berries. As they worked, Paula began to chatter to Laura about what to do for their assigned job: decorations.

"So I was thinking that we should make some streamers," she suggested. "Or maybe paper chains. What do you think?"

Laura bit her lip. "Um… what are streamers and paper chains?"

Paula was surprised. "You know! You see them all the time at parties. They're those paper things that you hang from the ceiling."

Laura shifted uneasily as she admitted, "It's just that… I think this might be the first party I've ever been to. I still can't remember my past, but I doubt I would've had much time for parties while on the run…" She frowned as another thought occurred to her. "Come to think of it… I don't even know when _my_ birthday is. Or my age…"

"That's right! Your amnesia!" Paula gasped, feeling like an idiot for not realizing it sooner. She frowned in thought. "Hm… well, don't worry. Parties are fun. And it's not that hard to make streamers. I'll show you when we get home."

* * *

A few hours after the team returned to the Bluff, their home appeared to have been taken over by art supplies. There was glue and glitter everywhere, and the ceiling had been covered in paint splatters from where the cap of a paint tube had been forcibly wrenched off. Each of the girls had a roll of white paper in front of them and had been armed with a brush and a selection of paint colors.

Paula clapped her paws together. "Okay! Now all we have to do is paint! Tomorrow we'll cut the paper and make them into links for the chain."

Laura was still uncertain, but she obediently dipped her brush into the cup of blue paint. The instant her brush touched the paper, all her uncertainty vanished and she became totally absorbed in painting.

The two were having so much fun that they didn't notice the passage of time. Finally, when the sun had sunk low enough in the sky that it became necessary to light a candle to see anything, Paula wiped her brow. "Whew!" she said, beginning to clean up her workstation. "Okay, Laura. I think we've done enough."

Laura slowly looked up, almost seeming like she was coming out of a trance. She saw that Paula was cleaning up, so she began to clean up her own station as well. The two went to move their work to another area to dry, and Paula gasped as she caught sight of Laura's paintings.

"Laura… these are beautiful!" she exclaimed as she admired them. They all seemed to feature Wigglytuff doing the things he loved: eating Perfect Apples, dancing, exploring, etc. They were lifelike, and seemed to capture him perfectly. "It's almost a shame to cut them…" Paula murmured in awe. Laura's paintings were much better than hers, which mainly figured blobs of color or random doodles.

"…You think so?" Laura asked. "It's okay. I can always paint more. It was… really fun," Laura said, nearly glowing with happiness.

"That's great!" Paula beamed at seeing her partner so openly showing her happiness. "So I was thinking… for Wigglytuff's presents, why don't we go to Apple Woods and pick him some Perfect Apples? They are his favorite, after all." Laura nodded. "Great! So tomorrow we'll head over there while we finish waiting for the paint to dry!" Paula decided.

* * *

Unfortunately for the duo, when they arrived at the forest the next day the big tree was nearly barren, with only a few Perfect Apples on the very tip-top branches of the tree.

Paula brought her paws to her eyes to act as a visor as she looked up. "There are hardly any left!" she exclaimed in shock before turning to Laura and wincing, "I guess everyone else had the same idea… what should we do?"

Laura crossed her arms and bowed her head in thought. She frowned and looked at the tree, considering an idea, before slowly saying, "Why don't _you_ pick some and I do something else? I have another idea…"

* * *

A few days passed and Wigglytuff's birthday arrived. Everyone did their best to act normal so that when Wigglytuff left on his traditional solo "birthday exploration," he suspected nothing. When he came back in the evening, however, and found the upper levels empty and the lower level dark, he was surprised.

"Hello? Friendly friends? Where is everyone?"

Suddenly the lights came on. In the time that Wigglytuff had been gone, the ceilings of the lowest level had been decked out with Team Rainbows decorations. A huge table laden with food had been placed right next to an even larger table laden with wrapped presents which all, with the exception of one, were similar in shape to a Perfect Apple. Someone had put a stack of party games in the corner, and furniture had been strategically placed in the room. Everyone jumped out from hiding and yelled, "SURPRISE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GUILDMASTER WIGGLYTUFF!"

Wigglytuff's mouth opened in a surprised gasp before he smiled widely. "Oh, wow! Thank you everyone!"

The party commenced. Most everyone was smiling, laughing, and having a wonderful time, but Laura and Chatot were being wallflowers and hanging out by the food. Laura was picking at her plate and only half listening to Chatot's complaints.

"… Always the same, every year," he was fuming. "Everyone goes wild and stays up late. Then they're surly and lazy the day after. And the place is always a mess! Squawk! HEY! You'd better clean that up!"

Laura sighed as she watched him run off to go scold one of the apprentices who had spilled their drink on the floor. She thought to herself, _"If he hates it so much, then why does he keep planning these parties year after year…?"_ She gave an audible sigh that was not missed by Croagunk, who had come over to the table to get something to eat.

"Well, well, well… what are you doing here all alone? Meh heh heh…"

Laura glanced down at her plate before hesitantly answering, "Oh… I… I was hungry, so I…"

Croagunk chuckled. "Meh heh heh… You must have a stomach like Bidoof's. You've been here all night." Unsurprisingly, Laura remained silent. Croagunk shook his head. "Why don't you just admit that you're not having fun and go home?"

Laura looked up in surprise. _"Surely it can't be that easy."_

Indeed, here suspicions were proven right when Croagunk continued, "Of course, if you do _that_ … who _knows_ how big the Guildmaster's temper tantrum will be…? Meh heh heh…"

He wandered off, fully aware (and pleased) of the fact that Laura had gone rigid and pale with terror at the thought.

"Hey, Laura!" she heard someone call. She looked up and paled even more when she realized that it was Wigglytuff. "Come over here!" he continued. "We're going to play a game!"

Laura only hesitated a moment before her fear of what Wigglytuff would do if she refused caused her to bring her plate over to where most of the guild was sitting in a circle on the floor.

Sunflora explained the rules of the game. "All right. This is the 'Memories' game. It's super simple! All you do is pick a card and then talk about a memory you have that's associated with its topic."

"YEAH! And make them INTERESTING memories!" Loudred demanded.

Laura gulped. _"Memories? Oh no…"_

Paula noticed her friend's distress and frowned. "Laura? Are you okay?" she asked with concern.

Laura went rigid and glanced over at Wigglytuff, who had also frowned in concern and confusion, before she looked back to Paula and nodded.

Paula wasn't convinced, but before she could voice anymore concerns, Loudred proclaimed, "OKAY! I'LL start!" He grabbed a card from the pile and read it silently before freezing up.

"Hey, hey! Don't just sit there!" Corphish complained. "What's your topic?"

"…Uh… er…" Loudred stammered, unwilling to read it.

Croagunk swiped the card and read it out loud, his mischievous smirk growing with every word. "Meh heh heh… it says: Describe your biggest failure."

Sunflora nudged him and giggled, "Oh my gosh Loudred! Wouldn't that be the time you failed the graduation exam?"

"SH-SHUT UP!" Loudred yelled, blushing with embarrassment.

The apprentices, Paula, and Wigglytuff laughed, but Laura just looked nervous. The nervousness grew as the game went on, and it reached its peak when it was finally her turn. She gulped, barely stopping her hands from shaking as she drew a card.

"What does it say?" asked Chimecho.

Paula glanced at it. "Looks like… 'What's your biggest dream in life?'"

"M-my biggest dream…?" Laura murmured. _"Well, at least it's not a memory,"_ she thought to herself before blushing. _"But still… it's a little embarrassing…"_

"Hey, hey! So spill!" Corphish impatiently demanded. "What's your dream?"

Laura shook her head before shyly saying, "My dream is… well… to fall in love, marry, and become a mother…"

There was a thoughtful silence before Loudred snickered, "THAT'S your dream? Isn't it a little GIRLY?"

Paula was indignant as she defended her friend. "What's wrong with that, Loudred? Laura _is_ a girl!"

"Yeah! What's wrong with wanting a family?" Sunflora asked, acting as backup.

"Yeah!" Chimecho also joined in.

Faced with the anger of every female in the room (except for Laura, who was stuffing her face with food to hide her embarrassment) Loudred became very nervous and defensive.

"W-well…that's not REALLY a memory anyway!" Loudred abruptly changed the subject. "I think Laura needs a NEW topic!" He grabbed another card and read it. "HERE'S one! 'What was your favorite birthday and WHY?'"

Laura nearly choked on her food. She hastily swallowed before repeating, "F-favorite birthday?"

"Yup, yup!" Bidoof confirmed. "I reckon that's an excellent topic, considering the occasion."

"B-but… I…" Laura stammered.

"Come now, Laura," Dugtrio sighed in exasperation. "It really is not a hard question. Just tell us of your birthdays past."

Laura was on the verge of tears at this point. "But I still… I can't re-"

Mercifully, Chatot chose that moment to interrupt with an announcement. "All right everyone! It's time to give the Guildmaster his presents!"

Everyone but Laura cheered and abandoned the game to rush over to the table with presents. Laura took a moment to rub her eyes before she slowly plodded over. By the time she got there, Wigglytuff had opened almost all of them. To no one's surprise, they had all been Perfect Apples. Laura's present was the last to be opened, and instead of being spherical like the others, hers was rectangular in shape. Wigglytuff ripped off the wrapping paper… and everyone stared.

It was a painting. It was a simple painting, but a magnificent one nonetheless. It was of the big tree in Apple Woods where the Perfect Apples grew. Looking at it… you could almost hear the rustling of leaves and feel the sunshine that spotlighted the tree. One look at the ripe fruit on the tree's boughs caused your mouth to water, and you could almost _taste_ the Apples on your tongue.

Laura fidgeted, interpreting the silence as disappointment. She shuffled her feet and hastened to offer an explanation. "I… I know it's not a Perfect Apple… but I figured that since I couldn't _pick_ one, this would be the next best thing."

The silence persisted for a few minutes before Wigglytuff broke by slowly asking, "Laura… where'd you get this?"

"I… I painted it myself," Laura admitted, glancing at the ground. "I… I know it's not very good, but-"

"NOT VERY… are you KIDDING?" Loudred broke her off. "This is _AMAZING_!"

Laura looked up in surprise as Bidoof added, "Yup yup! Those Apples look good enough to eat, by golly!"

"Oh!" Chimecho suddenly exclaimed, looking up at the Team Rainbow's decorations with new eyes. "So then… these wonderful decorations…?"

"That's right! She painted them herself!" Paula beamed before blushing and rubbing the back of her neck. "At least… the good ones. The others are mine…"

"Hey, hey! Laura, you could be a professional! What a great hobby for you!" Corphish praised.

Laura blushed and everyone laughed.

* * *

When the party _finally_ ended Paula and Laura went straight home and Laura practically collapsed on her bed.

" _I ate way too much…"_ she thought to herself, clutching her stomach. _"How does Bidoof_ do _it…?"_

"That was a great party! " Paula sighed, happily snuggling into her own bed. "Especially that game!"

Laura glanced at her and then glanced away with a frown, remaining silent.

"What? You didn't like it?" Paula asked, genuinely confused, as she sat up.

"…It's kind of hard to play a game that focuses on memories when one has so few of them…" Laura mumbled.

"That's right! Your amnesia!" Paula gasped. "Oh, Laura! I'm so sorry! I didn't realize-"

Laura cut her off with a weak smile. "It's all right. It really doesn't matter," she assured.

Paula wasn't convinced. "But…"

"Trust me… yawn… it's fine…" Laura murmured as she nestled into a tight ball and drifted off to sleep.


	7. The Diaries: Four

**The Diaries: Four**

Sunflora's "Oh My Gosh" Diary: Scary Story

Wow! We just had Guildmaster's birthday party today and, oh my gosh! It was wonderful! Even Team Rainbow came! They made the decorations. Laura is a really great painter! I noticed that she seemed a little tense during the party, though. I asked around and it turns out Croagunk had scared her with stories about what the Guildmaster would do if she left early! Oh my gosh! Why would he do something like that? No _wonder_ she was nervous!

P.S. Eek! Oh my gosh! I just realized something! We made Laura play a game about memories, but Laura… she still has amnesia! No _wonder_ she was reluctant to play! How embarrassing for us! I'm not sure whether I should apologize or not…

* * *

Bidoof's "Yup Yup" Diary: Memory Problems

That Croagunk! I _thought_ that Laura seemed a little upset after talking with him at the Guildmaster's party… well it seems he'd been telling her that the Guildmaster would do all sorts of mean things to her if she left early! Now, I reckon that's a mean thing to do… even if it _is_ true.

Sunflora also told me that she thought Laura had a rough time with the memory game, seeing as she has amnesia. Oof… I reckon Laura has a lot more trouble than we realize. A lot of the time I forget she has amnesia. Shucks, I didn't even know she had it until she and Paula were telling us about their time when Dusknoir kidnapped them… and I didn't fully believe it at first… gosh, I wonder if she'll _ever_ get those memories back…

P.S. You learn something new every day! It turns out that Laura is a mighty fine painter, yup yup! Why, I reckon she could go pro if she wanted to!


	8. Chapter 7: Everyone's Birthday Shock

Chapter 7: Everyone's Birthday Shock

One night, a few months after Wigglytuff's party, Laura and Paula were sleeping in their base like usual. But the night turned out to be a very special one…

Around midnight, Laura started to glow with rainbow-colored light. It was as though the world had decided she needed a recharge and was supplying her with energy. It was eerily similar to what had happened to her a year ago, on the night of her return from… wherever she was when she disappeared after the Temporal Tower incident. In any case, as the energy poured in, Laura began to have strange, disjointed dreams full of faces and voices that were strange to her, but, at the same time, very familiar…

Soon, the glow faded. But the dreams continued…  
________________________________________

The next morning, Paula woke up cheerful and completely oblivious to the strange event that had occurred during the night. She looked over to Laura and noticed that her sleep was fitful. She quickly went over to awaken her.

"Laura?" she asked, shaking her friend's shoulders. "Hey, Laura? Come on… it's time to wake up…"

Laura groaned and sat up, rubbing her eyes.

"Good morning, Laura!" Paula greeted cheerily.

"Good morning, Paula," Laura replied, slowly opening her eyes. The second Paula saw them, she froze in shock.

"What's wrong?" Laura asked in concern.

"L-Laura! Your… your _eyes_ …!" Paula stammered, her shock barring her from forming a complete sentence.

"M-my eyes?" Laura stammered, beginning to grow worried.

"They're… they're like _rainbows_!" Paula was finally able to say.

"What?" Laura exclaimed in confusion before going over to their water basin. She peered in… and froze at what she saw in her reflection.

Her eyes had, indeed, changed. Her pupils were still black, but where the irises used to be yellow, they now showed a rainbow of colors, all pure and beautiful. It wasn't just confined to the normal seven colors, however. The whole spectrum was displayed. The reds varied in hues from the lightest of pinks to a crimson color reminiscent of blood. Blue steadily darkened until it was indistinguishable from black. Then the black lightened into gray until it disappeared into white. What's more, the colors, instead of remaining stationary, almost seemed to swirl around… sometimes a few would seem brighter while others dimmed. Other times it almost seemed like a color would disappear entirely while another took its stead. Overall the effect was as beautiful as it was mystifying.

Laura was frozen in front of the basin, unable to believe it, especially as her eyes steadily widened with shock and allowed her to inspect them even more fully. Paula was shocked as well, but the silence gave her ample time to investigate a notion that seeing the eyes had prompted… a notion that she had seen them that way before…

"Oh!" Paula gasped as she suddenly remembered. "Laura! This was the color your eyes were a year ago when you returned after the Temporal Tower incident!"

Laura did not respond. In fact, she didn't even seem to realize Paula had spoken.

"…Laura?" Paula asked, beginning to worry.

There was still no response.

Paula became frantic and ran over to her, shaking her in the hopes of breaking her out of her catatonic state. "Laura! _Laura_!"

Paula's actions and worried voice seemed to snap Laura out of her daze. She blinked and looked over at Paula. Paula gave a shaky sigh of relief, but her friend's pale complexion did little to assuage her worry.

"Laura… what's wrong?" she pleaded.

Laura paused before glancing back at the basin. "It's just… I don't understand. My eyes…" She trailed off and turned back to Paula with a lost look before continuing, "Paula… these are my _human_ eyes. This is what they looked like before I turned into a treecko!"

Paula then understood Laura's extreme shock, as it mirrored her own. "WHAT?!" she yelled. "But… but how is that possible?! And… and why have they changed back _now_?"

"I don't know," Laura muttered, looking back at the basin. She frowned for a bit before a look of realization began to dawn on her face. "Unless…" she whispered before abruptly turning towards Paula and demanding, "What's today's date?"

"Huh? The date?" Paula repeated in confusion. "It's March 20th, the first day of spring." She cocked her head. "But what does the date have to do with anything?"

Laura frowned again, crossing her arms. "I see… maybe _that's_ why…"

"I still don't get it," Paula muttered.

"Today is my birthday," Laura explained, looking back to Paula. She seemed a lot calmer.

Paula was still confused. "Okay, so it's your birthday. But what does that have to do with—" Paula cut herself off when she realized what she had just said. "Wait! Today is your birthday?!"  
She exclaimed, jumping up to her feet in surprise. "But… but how would you know that? Unless… gasp! Your amnesia! It must be going away!" Paula smiled happily before frowning again in sudden confusion. "But… why now?" she asked.

"The memory—and the eyes, I suppose—must be returning because it's _this_ birthday," Laura said, nodding to herself in satisfaction. "She always told me that this would be the year I would learn many things… and _remember_ many things. Whatever _that_ meant…"

"… _Who_ said that?"

Laura looked startled before frowning. "…I don't know," she admitted. "I still can't… I don't know…" Tears began to well up in Laura's eyes. "B-but I _should_ know!" she stammered, growing frantic. "She was… one of the most… if not _the_ most… important—" Laura began to moan and clutch her head in pain.

"Whoa! It-it's okay Laura!" Paula tried to soothe her friend. "You're just beginning to get your memories back. There's no _way_ you'll remember everything right away. Don't push yourself."

Laura nodded her head slightly and followed Paula's orders. Soon, the pain dimmed to nothing. She sighed in relief.

Paula smiled, glad that her friend was out of pain, before frowning in thought. "But… hm… today's your birthday, so we should do something special," she reasoned. "You know, instead of just doing some jobs from the guild." Paula paused, and her eyes lit up in realization as she exclaimed, "Hey! The guild! I bet they'd want to throw you a big party!"

Laura paled instantly, remembering Wigglytuff's party and all the anxiety it caused her. "I… I think I'd rather _not_ tell them," she said gently, thinking to herself, _"Explaining my eyes is going to be hard enough. I don't need to deal with all_ that _too…_ "

Paula frowned again, but respected her friend's wishes and tried to come up with something else. "Hm… okay then… oh! Why don't we go to the Hot Springs? That would be perfect!"

Laura considered this before giving a broad smile and nodding in agreement.

"Okay then! Let's go!" Paula cheered as she helped Laura up and the duo headed to the door.  
________________________________________

The two had just left their base and were preparing to head into Treasure Town when they heard a voice calling them. "Paula! Laura! Wait!"

The duo looked over to see Marill and Azurill running towards them. Suddenly Azurill tripped and began to cry. Laura and Paula rushed over.

"Azurill! Are you all right?" asked Paula.

Marill began to freak out. "I-I think he's bleeding!"

"Huh?" Paula exclaimed, checking him over. Sure enough, there was a small scrape on his belly with a bit of blood. "Oh dear… don't worry. We'll take you inside and get it cleaned up," Paula assured.

She picked Azurill up and carried him back inside, Marill following close behind. Laura was about to take up the rear when she noticed a white piece of paper on the ground. She concluded that Azurill must have dropped it when he fell, and went to retrieve it for him. The moment she picked it up, however, she became dizzy.

 _"H-huh?"_ she thought, clutching her head. She got another dizzy spell. _"B-but… how can this be?!"_

Her eyes glowed brighter and got a faraway look…  
________________________________________

_Drowzee was wrapping something up, like a present. He attached a card to it._

  
_"Perfect!" he exclaimed with a smile. "I hope they like them!"_  
________________________________________

Laura's eyes snapped back to normal, and she stood in shock. She glanced at the piece of paper in her hand: it was the same one from her vision.

" _That… that was a Dimensional Scream_!" Laura's thoughts became frantic. " _But… how can I have had one when Paula wasn't around…? Maybe… maybe I'm just imagining things…"_

She headed back inside just as Paula was finishing bandaging up Azurill.

"There you go, Azurill!" Paula said. "Try to be more careful when you run, okay?"

"…Okay… sniffle… thank you," Azurill said.

"No problem! So what were you two doing out here?" Paula asked.

Laura surprised everyone by holding out the card and asking, "…Did you want to show us this? You dropped it outside…"

"That's right!" Marill exclaimed. "And this too!"

He pulled out a package, and Laura froze when she realized that it was the same one from her vision.

"They're from Drowzee!" Azurill added.

 _"So it_ was _a Dimensional Scream…"_ Laura thought to herself.

After handing Paula the package, Marill and Azurill got ready to leave.

"Thanks again," Marill said.

"Yes! Thank you!" Azurill repeated. Then he frowned and took a closer look at Laura's eyes. He broke into a wide grin. "You know, your eyes are really pretty, Laura!"

Laura blushed furiously as they left. She handed the card to Paula, who opened it and started to read.

" _Dear Paula and Laura_ ," she read. " _How are you? My travelling is going well. Currently I am exploring the Chilly Valley. As the name suggests, it can get very chilly over here. I hope you enjoy these souvenirs! I have one of my own, and it's very useful! –Your Friend, Drowzee_

_"P.S. Paula, the yellow one is yours, and the other one is Laura's. I'm pretty sure it will be obvious once you see them, but just in case…"_

Once Paula finished, she opened the package. It contained two blankets: a yellow one with lightning bolts for Paula… and a sky blue one with clouds and rainbows for Laura.

"Ha! That's perfect!" Paula giggled. She noticed that Laura was unusually quiet… even for her. "Laura…? What's wrong?"

Laura took a deep breath, "Paula… I just had a Dimensional Scream."

"Really?" Paula perked up. "Just now? What was it about?"

Laura shook her head. "It was about Drowzee wrapping up the blankets… but I didn't have it just _now_. I had it when I was outside. _Alone_."

Paula's jaw dropped. " _What_? But… how is that possible?" she asked in shock. "Grovyle said that you needed the presence of a trusted partner for it to work!"

"I don't know…" Laura admitted. She frowned and shook her head. "I think… I think I'm forgetting something about the ability… but I'm not… entirely…" she trailed off, grimacing and rubbing her head in an attempt to ward off the headache that she was beginning to get.

Paula frowned, noticing her friend's discomfort. "Well, we'll have time to worry about it later," she reasoned. "For now, let's go to the Hot Springs to celebrate your birthday!"  
________________________________________

Team Rainbow began to make their way through Treasure Town. Laura kept her head down to avoid awkward questions about her eyes. Paula thought it was ridiculous, but she didn't say anything until they reached the crossroads by Spinda's Café.

"Laura," she began, "there's no point in hiding your eyes. Everyone is going to find out eventually."

Laura sighed. "I… I know… but I'd rather not deal with it today."

Paula was about to respond when a voice interrupted, "Hey, hey! Team Rainbow! What good timing!"

Paula and Laura looked towards the voice in surprise and saw Corphish running towards them, having come from the guild.

"Corphish!" Paula greeted with a smile. "What's up? Did you need something?"

Corphish nodded his head. "Yeah! We need your help with something at the guild. It shouldn't take too long," he assured. "I was just coming over to get you…"

"It's a good thing we happened to be walking by, then!" Paula said, laughing. She turned to her partner, "Laura, do you mind making a quick stop?"

Laura quickly glanced up at Corphish before looking back down and shaking her head.

Corphish proceeded to lead them to the lowest level, where everyone was waiting.

Upon their arrival, Loudred exclaimed, "WOW Corphish! THAT was fast! MUCH faster than when we send Bidoof!"

"H-hey!" Bidoof exclaimed, affronted.

"We were already outside, by the crossroads," Paula explained, trying to mollify Bidoof. "So what did you need our help with?"

"Guildmaster got a package in the mail," Dugtrio stated, indicating towards a square package wrapped in brown paper and tied with string that was on the ground by Wigglytuff's feet. "It seems suspicious, and since the guild often receives threats from outlaws… we were hoping that Laura could use her Dimensional Scream ability to determine its nature."

Laura eyed the package while everyone looked at her expectantly. "I can _try_ ," she said. "But I can't make guarantees that it will work."

She knelt by the package and put her hands on it. Immediately she began to feel dizzy… but it was different than normal. This level of vertigo was higher than with any other Dimensional Scream she'd had so far.

 _"H-huh?"_ she thought, grimacing. " _It's… it's so strong…!"_

Her eyes glowed brighter and took on a far-away look as the vision began…  
________________________________________

 _Everything was so clear… clearer than with any other vision she'd ever had. The guild was standing around the box. She and Paula were there too. Everyone was panicking, and the box began to tick. It started to shake madly, and then it exploded. Pokémon were screaming as the room became engulfed in a cloud of dust and debris…_  
________________________________________

Laura's eyes snapped back to normal and she stared at the box in horror. "It's a bomb!" she yelled. "Take cover!"

"WHAT?!" the others screamed. The box began to tick and shake.

Laura pushed Wigglytuff to the ground and everyone else ducked for cover just before the bomb exploded. Pokémon screamed as thick cloud of dust and debris filled the air. After many tense moments of ominous silence, the smoke began to clear and pokémon began to cough and call out to each other.

"…Erg… Is everyone all right?!" Chatot demanded, flapping the smoke away from his face.

"Yes!"

"I'm fine!"

"Hey, hey, we're okay over here!" came the various voices as everyone made their way back to the center of the room.

Wigglytuff and Laura were still lying in a heap. Wigglytuff gingerly extracted himself from beneath her and helped her up.

"Laura! Are you okay?" he asked with concern.

"Urg…" Laura moaned, rubbing grit out of her eyes before cautiously blinking them open.

"Yes… I think so. Sorry for knocking you down."

She looked up at his face, confused to see that he wore a surprised expression. She looked around and saw that everyone but Paula was mirroring him and staring at her. She frowned in confusion.

"Oh my gosh, Laura! Your eyes!" Sunflora exclaimed.

Suddenly Laura understood what the problem was, and she blushed furiously and tried to hide her eyes from sight.

Wigglytuff stopped her, exclaiming, "Wow! They're so pretty! Why try to hide them?"

Laura shuffled her feet. "They… weren't a normal eye color when I was a human, and they're even more abnormal now that I'm a treecko," she explained with a sigh.

Paula suddenly chuckled. "Wow, Laura! It looks like you're having an exciting birthday after all!"

Everyone's, including Laura's, jaw dropped as they stared at her. But unlike everyone else, whose jaws had dropped in surprise, Laura's jaw had dropped in horror.

The stares confused Paula. "Uh… what's with the weird looks…?" she asked. She glanced over to Laura and noticed her horrified expression. She cringed when she realized what she had just said. "Uh… oops? Sorry, Laura…" she apologized.

Loudred snapped out of his surprise. "LAURA! Today's your BIRTHDAY?" When Laura timidly nodded, he asked, "Why didn't you TELL us?"

Laura glared at Paula, a silent demand that _she_ do the explaining because it was _her_ fault that Laura was in this mess in the first place. Paula got the hint and nervously began, "W-well… she only remembered it this morning…"

"Really?" Croagunk asked with a mischievous smirk on his face. "That seems a little suspicious… Meh heh heh…"

Sunflora rolled her eyes. "Silly Croagunk. Laura isn't the type to lie about something like that." She blinked and her face brightened when she realized something. "Oh my gosh! Do you know what this means? You must be getting your memory back! Isn't that great?"

Laura was less than enthused. That level dropped even further when Wigglytuff said, "Ooh! This means we can have another party!"

"N-no! That's okay!" Laura exclaimed in terror, remembering all the awkwardness and unease she felt during Wigglytuff's party. "It… it really isn't necessary!"

"Huh?" Wigglytuff asked, his eyes filling with tears. "B-but…"

The room began to shake. Laura sensed the danger that was Wigglytuff's Rage attack building, so she quickly tried another tack. "Please understand, Guildmaster. This birthday… among my people, this is one of the most important events in a person's life. It marks a person as ready to _fully_ join the community. It is a time for celebration, yes, but for a quieter, more… _contemplative_ one. A big party wouldn't be appropriate… especially for _me_ , with my position… I think…" she trailed off, seeming a bit confused, before looking around and noticing the expressions of surprise over the fact that she had said so much in one sitting. She blushed.

Wigglytuff looked mollified. "I understand," he said, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief that the crisis had been averted.

"But… hey, hey! What do you mean by 'your people'?" Corphish asked.

Laura opened her mouth to explain, but then she blinked and closed it in surprise when she realized something. " _My… my people?"_ she thought. _"That's right… I_ did _belong to a 'people,' but… I can't quite remember…"_

She looked up at Corphish's expectant face and tried again. "Um… yeah. My people. We were… um…" she crossed her arms and frowned, trying to remember. "What were we called…? I think… I _think_ it had to do with something that was important to us…" She grimaced as a headache began to form. "I know… we had a leader, but… who was…?" she began to rub her temples as the pain mounted. "Ugh… my _head_ …"

"Hey, hey! Okay! Okay!" Corphish exclaimed in worry at seeing Laura's condition. "Don't push yourself if you can't remember right away. You should take it slowly."

Laura nodded and did as he said. To her relief, the pain slowly began to ebb.

"Perhaps if we tried a simpler memory?" Dugtrio offered. "How about your age? Can you remember that?"

"Yeah!" Paula exclaimed, suddenly realizing something. "You never told me how old you are!"

Laura's headache had, by this point, mostly subsided, but she was still wincing a bit as she answered, "Of course. _That's_ easy." She removed her hands from her head and grinned. "I never thought I'd make it to this birthday… but I'm _finally_ thirteen."

Chatot nodded. "All right, so you're thirteen," he repeated. Then he blinked. "Wait… what?! Squawk! You're only _thirteen_?!"

"NO WAY!" Loudred exclaimed, equally shocked. "I thought you were WAY older than that!"

"Yeah," Paula agreed. "You act more mature than I do… but you're actually about two years younger than me!"

"Oh my gosh, yes!" Sunflora exclaimed. "You certainly don't _act_ like a thirteen-year-old!"

Chatot was in a state of shock. He grimaced to himself, muttering, "There goes our guild's reputation… how can we claim to be the best when a mere _child_ can pass our graduation exam after training with us for barely over a year…?"

Laura frowned, feeling a little hurt by that comment. Chatot noticed, realized his mistake, and immediately tried to back-track, frantically flapping his wings. "Oh! No! I didn't mean… there's nothing _wrong_ with being a child! Er… that is…"

"Oh! It's like Guildmaster Wigglytuff! You must be an exploration prodigy too!" Chimecho suddenly exclaimed, saving Chatot from digging himself any further into a hole.

"Yes!" Chatot grabbed at the save. "Yes, that's _exactly_ what I meant!"

Laura didn't buy it, but she merely shook her head and turned her attention to Croagunk when he said, "Meh heh heh… not to mention that you probably got a lot of practice running for your life from Dusknoir in the future…"

Laura frowned and looked at her feet.

Noticing Laura's quickly souring mood, Wigglytuff stepped in. "Well, hi there!" he said, causing everyone to turn their attention towards him. "Laura, it doesn't matter how old you are, or whether you're an exploration prodigy or not. You're our good friend either way!"

Laura gave him a small smile.

"Now, I know that you don't want a big fuss," he continued. "But it's still your special day, so I hope you'll accept this. Here!"

To everyone's shock, Wigglytuff presented her with a Perfect Apple. This was a _big_ honor; Wigglytuff _never_ just _gave away_ his "precious" Perfect Apples.

"Th-thank you!" Laura stammered. She gave him a little curtsy, and everyone laughed.  
________________________________________

Eventually Paula and Laura made it to the Hot Springs, and Laura all but melted with pleasure at the feel of the warm water. She sighed and closed her eyes, becoming completely relaxed.

"Sorry, Laura," Paula apologized. Laura opened her eyes to look at her. "I know you wanted to have a quiet day today."

"It's all right," Laura assured, smiling. "But I still don't get why they were all making a big fuss about me only being thirteen…"

Paula rolled her eyes; clearly Laura didn't see just how big a deal it was to graduate from Wigglytuff's Guild at _all_ , let alone, as Chatot said, when you were still a _child_.

"Hoh hoh hoh… ah, youth!" Torkoal exclaimed from his usual place on the rocks.

"Oh! Hello, Torkoal!" Paula greeted. Laura turned around and smiled at him.

"Oh?" Torkoal questioned upon noticing Laura's eyes. "Those eyes… they remind me of that legend…"

Paula and Laura perked up and glanced at each other before moving closer to the elderly pokémon.

"What legend?" Paula asked, curious.

"That's right… that legend…" Torkoal nodded. "Let's see… how did it go…? Ah, yes! A long time ago there was a goddess with two companions. One was a boy with eyes the color of… er…" Torkoal paused and turned away, frowning and muttering, "What color were they again…?" He shook his head and turned back to Team Rainbow, continuing, "Well, in any case, the goddess' other companion was a girl with the eyes like rainbows. The goddess came to this world with her companions to…" Torkoal paused again and turned away. "Er… why did they come…?" He turned back around and frowned. "I'm sorry; it seems to have slipped my mind…"

Paula sighed, not really surprised, but still a little disappointed, by his forgetfulness. That story seemed like it would have been really interesting! "That's all right, Torkoal," she told him.

Laura frowned in thought. _"A…legend? About a girl… with eyes like mine…?"_ She winced. _"Ugh… my head hurts… What am I forgetting…?"_


	9. Ch 8: The Diaries: Five

**Chapter 8: The Diaries: Five**

Sunflora's "Oh My Gosh" Diary: Only Thirteen?!

Oh my gosh! Laura is even more amazing than I thought! Today was her birthday, and guess what? She's only thirteen! That means she was only a _child_ when she and Paula saved the world... twice! What's more, Paula is pretty young too. Those two kids were the youngest in the guild!

Loudred was sulking about that earlier because it means that he got beaten up by children during Team Rainbow's graduation exam. He hadn't even been holding back!

Anyways… Laura seems to be recovering her memories. At first I was happy for her, but—Eek! Now that I think about it… all her lost memories would be of that paralyzed future! Maybe she was better off forgetting…

P.S. Oh my gosh! Laura's eyes are so pretty! They're like rainbows! They suit her perfectly! Especially since she's a member of an exploration team _called_ Team Rainbow...

* * *

Bidoof's "Yup Yup" Diary: Surprises Galore!

That Laura! She's just _full_ of surprises! It turns out that today was her birthday… and she's only thirteen! Golly! Can you believe it, Diary? I know I was sure surprised when I heard that. I always thought that she and Paula were around my age, but it turns out that they're younger than me!

What's even more amazing is that Laura is getting over her amnesia. And her eyes turned the color of rainbows! Oof… they're sure pretty…

I wonder what other surprises Laura is hiding…

**Author's Note:**

> Any questions for me or the characters? Feel free to follow me on Tumblr!
> 
> The web address is: http://catflowerqueen.tumblr.com/
> 
> Anons are welcome!


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